Iran will not charge tolls in Hormuz, but the US can: Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that there will be no tolls for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. If a toll is charged, it will be the US. He made this comment in a post on his social media platform on Saturday (June 20) afternoon.

According to Al Jazeera's report, his statement is being seen as an indication of the collapse of a recently signed memorandum of understanding. Trump wrote in his post, "There will be no tolls in the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day ceasefire period, and even after 60 days, there will be no tolls, unless imposed by the US." He also said, "If any fee is imposed, it will be by the US and for the US."

The Strait of Hormuz has become an important strategic issue since the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel began on February 28. During this time, Iran has tried to establish control over this waterway several times and at one point, Tehran decided to close it.

However, according to the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday, the strait will be reopened for 60 days and neither side will be able to collect tolls during this time. However, on Saturday, Iran's joint military command claimed that they had closed the Strait of Hormuz again due to a new Israeli attack and referred to it as a "clear violation of the agreement".

On the other hand, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied this claim and said that shipping through the strait is normal and no obstacles have been created.

The Strait of Hormuz has long been a key focus of conflict between the US and Iran. About 20 percent of the world's oil and gas and about 30 percent of global fertilizer trade pass through this strait. As a result, any kind of obstacle has a major impact on the global energy market. The United States had previously imposed a naval blockade in the region in response to Iranian pressure, which was lifted through Wednesday's memorandum of understanding.